North Berwick Nature Park, North Berwick
Now, this place is certainly no secret to the NB locals, but I am not sure how many ‘outsiders’ would be aware of its existence just yet. A community project that was started from scratch a few years ago, I, alongside many others, have watched North Berwick Nature Park blossom from inception into something truly incredible!
Wildflower meadows will always hold a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to spend my early years living on an RAF base in the South of England, where we had unrivalled freedom to play outside, and acres of wildflower meadows on my doorstep. I hold cherished childhood memories of running through them, pulling the grass seeds from the stalks as I passed, blowing ‘fairies’ from the head of dandelion clocks, and catching all manner of creepy crawlies in small magnifying tubs for observation before releasing them back into the biodiverse wild.
Then, as people do, I grew up and moved away. And I know for a fact that those wildflower meadows of my childhood are now long gone. More housing for people has replaced housing for wildlife as sadly seems to be the way of our world today. Throughout my adulthood I have chased the memory of those childhood meadows, always hoping to find one and be able to recapture that feeling of pure unfiltered grounded-ness- itchy bare legs in the sunshine and the continual buzzing of vibrating wings in a place where you can lie on your back and be lost for hours, cocooned by nature itself. So you can imagine how incredibly lucky I feel, now in my thirties, to have finally found just that, right on my doorstep! And even more so as I am able to share it with my own little family... North Berwick Trust have provided me with a full-circle I could only ever have dreamed of, and I really cannot thank them enough!
The North Berwick Nature Park is located at the South side of North Berwick, visible from the roadway on your left as you enter the town from Law Road. There is no car park at present, but plenty of on-road parking for courteous individuals throughout the neighboring new-build estates where access to the meadow can be gained through an open gate. Just inside the entrance to the park stands a huge, brightly-painted sculpture of a hare. He was once part of an art trail across the town, after which nine differently decorated hares were auctioned off to raise money for a local charity. Thanks to a brilliant crowd-funding mission by the artist’s mother who lives nearby, I can say with all honesty, that I actually own a little piece of this particular work of art!
I do feel the need to stop at this moment, and offer a minor *disclaimer* here, just incase you weren’t aware- wildflower meadows are seasonal. For six months of the year, my meadow becomes little more than dog-walking field, and often a soggy one at that! Don't get me wrong, it is still a lovely place to be, especially at dusk when deer often roam freely and bats dart overhead against the silhouette of the Law, but in all honestly, if you make the journey specifically to visit the nature park, I strongly recommend you stick to the months of June through to September or you are likely to be disappointed.
Throughout the summer months though, the nature park is just the most precious space in which you could ever wish to find yourself! A winding path network is mown through the ocean of waist-high wildflowers. Dogs are very welcome but during these months, must be kept on a lead so as not to disturb the plentiful ground-nesting birds. There are poo-bins scattered around the park so no excuses to leave any mess, and this year, a welcome addition of a small picnic area and a wooden memorial bench right in the middle, make this a great choice for those who are only able to manage short distances on foot. The biggest loop around the field is around 3/4s of a kilometre and there is a lovely wee wooden playpark for little adventurers (fondly known as the ‘squirrel park’ to my personal pack of little boys). It is not hard going underfoot, though there will be muddy patches after heavy rainfall. I like to follow the path right at the back of the park, which takes you behind two of the penned-off woodland areas, past a tree with a huge rock next to it- the favourite landmark for my littlest loves, who like to climb here and pretend to be a king atop his rocky throne!
Another recent addition to the park this year, has been the creation of a community orchard which houses a medly of all kinds of fruit trees, planted by the locals, for the locals, some still tagged and labelled with the name of those who planted them. The trees are still just babies now but I so look forward to a time when they bear fresh, organic fruits ready to be eaten straight off a tree by a toddler on shoulders, or baked into the most wonderful organic crumble! I will watch them grow up alongside my children, and their children will enjoy them after that- trees really are just the most marvelous of things, standing guard, providing for and protecting generation after generation. I for one, could not be more delighted to have them!
Visiting the nature park today, One gets the impression that, despite already thriving with wildlife, the park is very much still in its infancy. I have heard on the grapevine that plans are afoot involving outdoor education, conservation, and entertainment… it is almost a shame in a way, because when first coming here the park felt like a secret, reserved exclusively for a select few who lived in the vicinity; but overall my hope now is that enough people will visit and be inspired to create their own miniature nature parks all across the country. I can’t help but feel that these wild flower meadows should not be a rare treasure taking 20 years to find!
